Artificial limb.



J. T- HAGEY.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB. 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1916.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

49 WW Justus TH@ JUSTUS T. HAGEY, OF HATFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917-.

Application filed June 23, 1916. Serial No. 105,445.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JUSTUS T. HAGEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hatfield, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in artificial limbs, and has particular reference to the foot construction thereof.

An object of the invention is the provision of an artificial foot, provided with an ankle joint of novel construction, sa d joint being of such design as to enable the foot of the artificial limb to move with as much naturalness and freedom as the normal ankle.

Another object of the invention resides in an artificial foot wherein the various joints thereof are so constructed that the wearer of the foot will be given perfect comfort when utilizing the same, inasmuch as the foot will permit of the same functions as a normal ankle and will operate with such freedom of movement that the me chanical indications, as are usually found in devices of this character,.will be almost, if not entirely imperceptible.

In carrying out the invention use is made of an artificial limb wherein is preferably provided a foot section and a lower leg portion, and thepresent'invention particularly comprehends a connecting ankle joint which permits the said leg portion to oscillate forwardly, 'rearwardly, or laterally with respect to its point of connection with said foot section, in order to allow substantially the same movement as is permitted by the natural ankle. v V

Other objects will be in part; obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present specification, and in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the artificial foot comprising the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the same,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken 011 the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional View, taken on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the draw- The foot section 5 is preferably formed of wood, although it may be composed of any other suitable material, such as alumi num or rubber or it may be made in the form of a hollow steel body. The section 5 may, however, be formed in different sizes and shapes to meet the personal requirements of those using the same.

A toe section 7-is pivotally connected with the forward edge of the section 5 as at 8, and in effect, forms a movable continuation of the foot section. A spring or an equivalent 9 is interposed between the perpendicular face 10 of the foot section and the inclined cooperating face 11 of the toe section 7 in order that the lower surface of the latter section will extend flush with that of the section 5. A strap 12 limits the expanding action of the'spring 9 and, the movement, in one. direction, of the toe section 7. The inclined face 11 of the section 7 permits the latter-to be rocked upwardly toward the foot'section or to permit the latter to be moved'toward the toe section, as will be clearly understood.

The foot section 5 is formed-with a recess 13, in which is situated a toggle joint consisting of spaced anchoring bolts having enlarged heads 15, the bolts being provided with threaded shanks '16, which extend through openings 17, formed in the foot section 5, and terminate within a slot 18 formed in the lower surface of the latter section.

Binding nuts 19 :are threaded upon the shanks 16 so. thatthe bolts, will be rigidly secured to the foot section, said nuts being positioned within'the slot 18.- Horizontally extending .alining openings 20 are formed in the heads 15 to receive a similarly extending shaft or fulcrum 21, and rotatably mounted upon the latter, and confined between the heads 15 of the bolts 14:, is a ball I member 22, the latter being permitted to rotate transversely of the recess 13. Pintles 23 are integrally formed or otherwise located upon the ball member 22 and are situated at right angles to the shaft 21, said pintles being received within openings 24 formed in a yoked extremity'25 of an ankle bolt 26, the latter constituting one of the main units of the ankle joint 7. By this construction it will be apparent that the joint 7 will be permitted to revolve forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the foot section 5 or may be rotated in different lateral directions thereto. The reverse of the latter statement is also true, as the foot section may oscillate just as freely about a relatively stationary ankle joint.

The bolt 26 extends upwardlyfrom the yoked extremity thereof and passes through a vertical opening 27 formed in an instep section 28. The section 28 and the lower portion of the lower leg section 6 are rigidly connected with the bolt 26, by pro vidingthe latter, at the lower threaded portion thereof with a nut or an equivalent 29, the nut serving as a seat for the instep section. The upper extremity of the bolt 26 extends above the instep section and into the spider extremity 30 of the lower leg section, so that binding nuts 31 may securely clamp the instep section to the lower limb section in order that the latter elements will operate in synchronism with the 110113 26, as will be obvious.

In order to regulate and cushion. the movement of the instep section 28 and to maintain the same in its normal position, there is provided a buffer member 32, which is substantially semi ciroular in plan and is preferably formed from a suitable yieldable substance. The buffer member is situated in the recess 13 and is adapted to coiiperate with a projecting lip 38 of the instep section 28, so that the forward or lateral movement of the latter will be limited or regulated. A helical spring 34: is located between a seat 35, formed in the foot section 5 within the recess 13, and a projection 36, formed in the rear of the instep section, the normal tendency of the springbeing to force the, lip 33 into engagement with the buffer member and to also, serve to regulate and control the rearward movement of the instep section.

The lower leg section 6 may be'of any convenient or standard design and no particular description of the same is thought to be necessary, other thanv tostate that it should be associated or connected with the instep section or ankle joint.

Having described my invention, what is claimed is 2- 1. An artificial limb comprising lower leg and footsections, an ankle joint including a bolt member associated with the foot section and capable of oscillating forwardly, rearwardly, and transversely thereof, an instep section supported on said bolt, a yieldable element interposed between said instep and foot sections respectively, and a resilient means for maintaining said instep section in contact with the yieldable element for the purpose set forth.

2. An artificial limb comprising lower leg and foot sections, an ankle joint including bolts secured to the foot section, a shaft journaled between said bolts, a spherical member fitted on the shaft for partial rotation therewith, pintles projecting from said member at right angles to said bolts, a third bolt having a yoke at its lower extremity pivoted upon said pintles, whereby the last mentioned bolt is mounted for oscillatory movement forwardly, rearwardly and transversely of the foot section, and resilient means to regulate and limit the movement of said bolt.

3. An artificial limb comprising lower leg and foot sections, an ankle joint connecting said sections, said joint embodying anchoring bolts secured to said foot section, a shaft extending throughsaiol bolts and serving as a journal fora ball member rotatably mounted thereon, pintles formed with said ball and disposed at right angles to said shaft, a bolt pivotally supported upon said pintles and capable of rotating with and in the direction opposite to the normal course of ro tation of said ball member, means for securing said'bolt to said lower leg section, an instep section situated between said lower leg section and said foot section and supported by said bolt member, and resilient means 00-- operating with said instep member to maintain the same in a normal position and to regulate and limit the rocking movement thereof. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- JUSTUS T. HAGEY.

Witnesses Trrus REED,

WELLINGTON YOCUM.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

